(Pokémon) Honchcrow

[RetroBacon]

Honchkrow is a gimmicky little Pokemon; it can be really good, but it is extremely frail. This particular set can be extremely frustrating to play against:

Set

Honchkrow @ Mirror Herb
Ability: Moxie
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 8 SpD / 248 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swagger
- Sucker Punch
- Acrobatics
- Thunder Wave/U-turn/Foul Play

With Swagger being legal, Honchkrow is a force to be reckoned with; the attack stat can easily rack up, and with Mirror Herb being introduced this generation, everyone's favorite mafioso can now run Acrobatics over Brave Bird, and while at the same time benefiting from an incredibly good item. One might think to run Foul Play, but Honckrow's attack is incredible, and the move doesn't really add much. Thunder Wave can be used to hit targets on the switch, slow/utility mons, and to add a little bit of parafusion mayhem into the mix; U-Turn may be preferred instead for a slow/scout-type switch, making it more viable as a lead. Honchkrow can be brought in at any time during the game, but really shines after the opposing team has been worn down by hazards, or to spoil an opposing sweeper. Not a lot of people seem to be using this mon, so it may even drop to NU, which in my opinion would be a bit insane. I've experimented with different spreads, and ultimately I think this guy is just way too fragile to benefit from any defensive investment whatsoever.

It's hit or miss, but when it hits, it hits hard.

 

[Shen~]

I tried a dumb little build where I ran it as a scarf anti-lead type thing where I set up tailwind and either u-turned out or tried to 1 shot their lead to start start building moxie. The build was not good.

 

[YataGarasu]

Personally I've run a near-standard CB set in RU:

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Honchkrow @ Choice Band
Ability: Moxie
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 4 HP/ 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Sucker Punch
- U-Turn
- Taunt

Taunt is merely to halt SR/entry hazard setters which it outspeeds all but 5 of. Three of them being a form of Lycanroc. You Taunt then switch to stunt the loss of momentum. The only issue is losing out on Night Slash/Sucker Punch guessing games however, people expect it so it's not totally lost. However, Moxie Sucker Punch on HO teams can easily lead to a string of massacres, and Brave Bird already hits hard on anything that doesn't outspeed or predicted switches. Dark Tera guarantees those SP kills. Great as a revenge killer.

Just some Calcs to show how hard BB hits and SP.

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252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mudsdale: 226-267 (55.9 - 66%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Avalugg: 183-216 (46.4 - 54.8%) -- 62.1% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Cetitan: 445-525 (92.3 - 108.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Cloyster: 187-222 (77.5 - 92.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Dudunsparce: 378-445 (83.2 - 98%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Haxorus: 342-403 (116.7 - 137.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Muk: 396-466 (95.6 - 112.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Palossand: 211-250 (56.4 - 66.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Revavroom: 171-201 (56.8 - 66.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Umbreon: 288-340 (73 - 86.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Dachsbun: 205-243 (64.4 - 76.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery

My point is even if it doesn't 1HKO many of these checks or bulky 'mons they can't safely switch in on prediction. non-resists often KO without a high Def, stat and that's without being at +1 due to moxxie. Even without rocks many of these calcs are around 2HKO guaranteed. Even Steel Hariyama takes approximately ~70% from BB. Tera Flying probably terrorizes slower mons sure it will KO to recoil but it can easily take 2-3 neutral mons.

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Sucker Punch/Night Slash damage calcs: They are interchangeable minus the potential crit chance.
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Haxorus: 268-316 (91.4 - 107.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Night Slash vs. 252 HP / 252 Def Bronzong: 348-412 (102.9 - 121.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Night Slash vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Dragalge: 268-316 (80.2 - 94.6%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Drednaw: 268-316 (83.4 - 98.4%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gardevoir: 348-410 (125.6 - 148%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Gogoat: 358-422 (92.5 - 109%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Goodra: 328-386 (85.6 - 100.7%) -- 81.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Tera Steel Hariyama: 370-436 (75.2 - 88.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and burn damage
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 248 HP / 0 Def Klawf: 216-256 (62.9 - 74.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Honchkrow Sucker Punch vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Lycanroc-Dusk: 261-307 (89.6 - 105.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Tera Dark Honchkrow Night Slash vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Magnezone: 216-256 (76.8 - 91.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock

Either way this bird hits hard even if it's extremely frail. At +1 Sucker punch can easily lay waste to a plethora of UU and some of OU. Yes I've tested this mon in OU. Probably outside of Haxorus the hardest hitting RU mon tbh. LO is also usable for Night slash guessing games and losing health doesn't matter since it's so frail. You KO or you drop. Generally it survives one it and then falls. I've also run slower 252 HP/252 ATK builds which worked better at 1-1 BB kamikaze builds but I feel speedier builds are better at risk management.

 

[Zemyla]

Does the 2HKO on Mudsdale count Stamina?